Saturday, April 28, 2012

The Wanted Out To Prove Boy Bands 'Make Good Music'

'If you like us despite it or because of it, then we're happy,' Jay McGuiness tells MTV News of boy-band label.By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Sway Calloway

The WantedPhoto: MTV News

It's not always easy being in a boy band. There are a lot of preconceptions for the five guys who choose to sing catchy pop tunes and dance in formation for a living.

Given that boy bands have come in and out of fashion once every decade for the last few years, it should come as no surprise that we are knee-deep in a brand-new boy-band bonanza. This one is being led by this generation's 'NSYNC and Backstreet Boys: One Direction and the Wanted.

When MTV News sat down with the Wanted to premiere their "Chasing the Sun" video, they chatted a bit about being labeled a "boy band."

"Eventually, we were, like, over it," Jay McGuiness explained. "If you like us despite it or because of it, then we're happy."

Well, something is working for the guys. Their lead U.S. single, "Glad You Came," has topped the charts, and they are once again getting people dancing with "Chasing the Sun," from their just-released debut U.S. EP. It's a good time to be in a boy band, thanks to all the love out there for them. And it's an even better time to be in the Wanted.

It seems that their success might have a lot to do with the way they've approached their boy-band career thus far. "We went out there and we're like, 'You know what? I think we can change people's perspectives of the '90s boy bands,' " Tom Parker explained. "And that was our aim: just to make good music."

Voting in round two of MTV's Battle of the Boy Bands runs until noon ET on Monday, April 30. Winners are determined by fan votes, so if your favorite band made the cut, make sure you keep voting. Tune in to AMTV and MTV Hits for their boy-band video takeovers each day and make sure to spread the word on Twitter using the hashtag #BBB and like us on Facebook for updates!